Meeting of the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs&nbsp;with Vincent COCHETEL, Director of the UNHCR Bureau for Europe, on Better protecting refugees in the EU, in the EP in Brussels.

Brussels

exchange of views

meeting

Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs

migration and refugees in Europe (T)

UNHCR

COCHETEL, Vincent (FR)

Better protecting refugees in the EU: extracts from the exchange of views with Vincent COCHETEL, Director of the UNHCR Bureau for Europe

SOUNDBITE (English), Vincent COCHETEL, Director of the UNHCR Bureau for Europe, <p>When we are discussing the migration compact, when we are discussing regional protection programmes, when we are discussing all those partnerships with the neighbourhood, we need to make sure that the legal pathways are integrated in the thinking. With legal pathways we mean resettlement, we mean family reunion programmes that work, we mean scholarships for refugee students, we mean also some private sponsorship resettlement.</p>

SOUNDBITE (English), Vincent COCHETEL, Director of the UNHCR Bureau for Europe, We are calling for a common registration system. To make sure that all those who arrive in Europe are registered in the same way, in the same system, that data is comprehensive, that data is shared on time. On something that goes well, well beyond what EURODAC (European Dactyloscopy - the EU fingerprint database for asylum seekers and irregular border-crossers) is today.

SOUNDBITE (English), Vincent COCHETEL, Director of the UNHCR Bureau for Europe,We are making a very practical suggestion on a distribution mechanism for EU Member States under pressure, and to make relocation work, as currently the numbers remain unacceptably low. Getting relocation to work efficiently and at a scale, is not the only aspect of solidarity, but for us it is an essential component of solidarity.

SOUNDBITE (English), Vincent COCHETEL, Director of the UNHCR Bureau for Europe, To deal with increasing mixed flows, some asylum claims should be channelled into accelerated procedures at the border of the EU. With the appropriate safeguards in place this would provide quick access for those who need it, and quick return of people who are not in need of international protection.

SOUNDBITE (English), Vincent COCHETEL, Director of the UNHCR Bureau for Europe, We are making an urgent call for action for unaccompanied and separated children. We have seen that growing phenomenon in many European countries over the last three years, we believe that children should be treated as children.

SOUNDBITE (English), Vincent COCHETEL, Director of the UNHCR Bureau for Europe, I know this is not very popular, but we are making a call for Europe to prepare for possible new influxes. It may not happen, hopefully it will not happen, but we need to be prepared. We are very concerned that in a number of situations, Europe does not seem to have plan A or Plan B.

SOUNDBITE (English), Vincent COCHETEL, Director of the UNHCR Bureau for Europe, We need more investment in integration for those in need of international protection. integration is an opportunity for both refugees and host communities. Investing in integration avoids the creation of an under class which contributes to social division, intolerance and xenophobia.

SOUNDBITE (English), Juan Fernando L&#211;PEZ AGUILAR (S&amp;D, ES), <p>We are encountering much resistance for the establishment,  for the possibility for humanitarian visas to take place within the visa code by Member States in the Council. And I think, that an outspoken, vocal position by the UNHCR among other institutions and bodies, would be of relevance.</p>

SOUNDBITE (English), Vincent COCHETEL, Director of the UNHCR Bureau for Europe, First on humanitarian visas, we fully support that. The drama there is that some countries that have done it, you know, and want to continue to do it but this quickly. As soon as they speak about it they get totally submerged with demand and it becomes dysfunctioning. So we need to make sure you have a group of countries doing that.

SOUNDBITE (English), Cecilia WIKSTR&#214;M (ALDE, SE), Rapporteur, This is for me one of the difficulties with the new Dublin proposal. How should we make sure that unaccompanied minors are being protected. We know that only last year, at least 10,000 young persons, children and teen agers went missing.

SOUNDBITE (English), Vincent COCHETEL, Director of the UNHCR Bureau for Europe, Unaccompanied minors: I have talked a bit about our proposal but the idea is that the best interest of the child should be at the core of the decision-making process. We should not presume that a kid is in need of asylum, he is in need of protection, natural protection. The protection of a kid is normally the family protection, where and when and if it is possible. But at least let's design a system that tries to restore that link with the family.